How to make a mistletoe garland

Mistletoe can be found growing on a number of trees, including hawthorn, poplar, apple, lime and conifers. Keep an eye out for the characteristic globes of evergreen foliage, which should be easier to spot in autumn and winter when deciduous trees have dropped their leaves.

Follow these simple steps to create your own Christmas mistletoe decoration.

You Will Need

• Mistletoe stems with berries
• Long lengths of ivy
• Green florist wire (0.46mm/26swg diameter)
• Pieces of red and white gingham ribbon (50cm long x 0.5cm wide)
• Twisted twine (1.7m long x 0.5cm wide)

Step 1

Wrap ivy around the length of the twine. Gather three stems of mistletoe into a bunch and wire the bunch to the centre of the twine.

Step 2

Take single stems of mistletoe and wire them to the twine at intervals. Tie the ribbon around the mistletoe to cover the wire.

Collecting plants yourself?

If you're collecting the mistletoe and ivy yourself, it's a good idea to have the landowner's permission first. A bucket of water to dunk your cuttings in or polythene bags will help to keep the foliage fresh while you collect.